Only Hope
by eawriter42192
Summary: [Miracle]Emma Lynne Calhoun was always wrapped up in figure skating. After an injury, she is determined to make a comeback and win. But what happens when she meets a very charming team of hockey players on their way to Olympic glory?
1. Chapter 1

**ONLY HOPE**

By: wave-rider42192

Pairings: Bah/Emma Lynne

OC/Kim

Rammer/Gabi

Mac /Christine

AN: You'll see the majority of these characters later. This is my first story on so pretty, pretty, please NO FLAMES. I am open to constructive criticism. BTW: The title is from "A Walk to Remember" soundtrack. Love this song! Also, if this doesn't make any sense, just hit the purplish button at the bottom. Thanks. Enjoy (I hope…)!

Chapter 1: The Change

My life has always been focused on skating. It's been my outlet for frustration, happiness, and my place for relaxation. I never bothered with love because skating was always my first love.

But it all changed when I fractured my ankle.

I was twenty-two years old and I was going to be on the 1980 Olympic Team. It was a simple practice when my world turned upside down. It was an easy jump, too. A double Salchow with a double toe loop. I landed wrong and the crack resounded through the arena. I was off the team, but you couldn't keep me down. As soon as I got the okay from the doctor, I was back on the ice, skating my heart out. It was at one practice session that my whole life changed.

It was late July, 1979. I was at the local skating arena practicing hard as usual while my friends watched and offered their support. Gabi and Kim, my best friends and roommates, were in the stands entertaining Michaela, Kim's five-year-old. During my double flip, I heard a man's voice saying, "Come on gentlemen, on the ice. Let's go,"

I stopped short and looked towards the benches for the hockey teams. That's where the voice became a body and face who didn't look too happy. He said, "Excuse me Miss, but this ice is reserved for our practice. Would you mind getting off?"

I stood there, taken back by this man's bluntness and controlling demeanor. I skated closer to him and stared him straight in the face (I wouldn't let some stupid hockey team come in the way of my Olympic dream, no matter how little effect it may have had). "I'm sorry, sir, but I didn't see anything saying this rink was reserved. I'm finishing up my practice if you wouldn't mind waiting ten minutes," I heard my determined voice echoing in the vast arena. He opened his mouth to retort but a man all suited up to play hockey interrupted him. "Let her finish up Coach, we need time to warm up anyways."

I glanced up at the speaker's face. He was fairly tall with a scruffy face and sapphire eyes. He smiled at me briefly before directing his gaze back to his coach. The stony faced man in front of me nodded his head and turned back towards the group of players behind him, "Alright gentlemen, take a seat and start stretching," I murmured a small thank you and turned back to center ice.

I got in my starting position and looked up to Gabi. She nodded and hit the play button on our small radio. The sound of Aerosmith's _Dream On_ filled the arena. I started skating around the rink, building speed and dancing out the music. My first jump came and I nailed in flawlessly. I continued skating around until the song stopped and I was striking a pose in center ice.

I heard applause and cheering as the music died out and turned around to see the entire hockey team standing and clapping. I blushed lightly and bowed gracefully. I skated around slowly to calm my racing heart. Performing always got my blood pumping, even when it was for a small audience. When my heart finally slowed back to normal pace, I headed towards the bench where I left my bag and water bottle. I opened the gate to find a small five year old grasping onto my legs.

"That was gweat, Emmy. You was weally good," Michaela said. I looked down at my goddaughter and cracked a big smile. I tousled her blonde hair and said, "Alright Mischa, let's go get your mom." I sat down on the bench and started unlacing my skates. I looked up to see the hockey team get on the ice and start skating around the ice under the direction of their dictator coach. The player who suggested they wait for me to finish skated by me and smiled. I smiled back and put on my street shoes. I turned to go back to the stands when the harsh voice of the coach came to my ears.

"Miss, could I talk to you for a moment?" I turned toward him, confused, and I walked out on the ice. He looked as if he were contemplating something when I got to him. I looked to him and he began to explain himself.

"My name's Herb Brooks and I'm the coach for the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. I was wondering if you would be interested in working with the team as a trainer. You seem very dedicated to what you do, we could use someone with your determination and talent on our staff." I looked at him and crossed my arms. "Well, you're right; I'm very dedicated to my skating. I'm trying to get a second chance for the Olympic Skating Team. I'm very busy with practices and such, so I might not have enough time to dedicate to your team. And shouldn't you know more about me before you hire me out of the blue?"

He looked a little taken back by my forwardness but recovered quickly. "Yes, but from what I've seen here, you are more than qualified for this position. It's basically just warming the players up and teaching them new drills, pushing them to do their best. I'll be willing to give you $5 for every hour you work," he stopped when he noticed my unimpressed look, "And you can have all the ice time you want before and after practice to work on your figure skating." I contemplated his offer in my head. _You do need some money, and you'd be getting free ice time. But this guy doesn't even know who I am. And I don't think I'll get along too well with a bunch of hockey players. But if the Olympic Committee saw me after a practice or something, they could talk to the people in charge of the Skating Team! I think you've got a deal Mr. Brooks._

When I had made my decision I looked Mr. Brooks right in the eye and said, "I'll have to think it over, but I'll come back here tomorrow with my answer, deal? Oh, and by the way, my name is Emma Lynne Calhoun." I smiled and walked back to my side of the rink and up to my roommates. Gabi was the first to speak, "What was that all about?" I sighed. "I think I've got a job."

Kim and Gabi's eyes widened. "I thought you were spending the rest of this year trying to get back on the team," Kim said shocked. I looked at her and I came up with a new idea. Kim was a photographer. She also had a bunch of movie equipment back at the apartment. _Maybe Coach Brooks would want someone to record the practices. _I smiled inwardly and picked up the radio and questioned, "We ready to leave?"

**So, there it is. I'll try to update when I can. Thank you so much for reading. It means a lot. **

**wave-rider42192 **


	2. Chapter 2

**I am so, so sorry I haven't updated in forever. Thanks again to my reviewers and if you all absolutely hate me and this chapter, I apologize. It might not make much sense 'cause I was trying to finish this off quickly. Here ya go...**

**wave-rider**

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Chapter 2: New Job

That night, I told Kim and Gabi that I was going to take the job. They both questioned it…a lot. Their first reactions were priceless, though.

"WHAT!" Kim shouted and jumped up, "Why do you want to work for a bunch of mindless hockey jocks? I thought you hated hockey!" It was only after she completed her thought that she realized she knocked the scalding hot chocolate she had been holding into her lap. She started swearing and dancing around madly trying to get the pants off. Gabi and I sat there, not knowing whether to laugh or attempt to approach our friend. Kim disappeared down the hall and into her room, returning a moment later with grey sweatpants on.

"Are you okay, Kimby?" Gabs asked cautiously. Kim let out a deep sigh and flopped down on the couch, hand flying to her head.

"Emmy, what the HELL are you thinking? I thought you wanted to spend all the time possible trying to make the team again." Gabi agreed with her.

"Yeah, Em. Why the sudden change? Just this morning you said you were going to get back in time for the Olympics."

"Guys, that's what I'm doing. See, part of the deal is that I'll warm the team up and show them some stuff, then I get all the free ice time I want after practice. And maybe, if the Olympic Hockey Committee sees me practicing they might talk to the Skating Team. Plus, it's some money that we can use for random things around the house." They sat there and stared at me, processing all I had told them. Finally, Kim broke the silence.

"You little manipulator! You have one devious mind that head, Emmy. I'm so proud!" I laughed at Kim and told her it was all because of her. She smiled wide and stood to take a bow. Gabi just sat and laughed at us. We were so goofy sometimes, it surprised me.

"Oh, and by the way Kim. I'm gonna ask if they need a photographer for the team." I added in casually. Kim's eyes widened and she slowly sat back down.

"What the Hell are you thinking Calhoun?" she asked in a deadly serious tone.

"Well, Kimby, you never take pictures or movies anymore, and don't even try to convince me that you're happy with your job at Martha's Bakery. I mean, it's not what you love. Besides, are there any **real** benefits to baking cookies all day? You're not even allowed to eat the mistakes, for crying out loud!"

"Well, I do get a basket of muffins and cookies on holidays," she stated defensively. I rolled my eyes and looked at her.

"Kim, please! That Martha lady is a psycho. Granted, the coach might not be completely sane either, but at least it's doing something you love." She still looked reluctant. "How about we make a deal: If I ask Mr. Brooks if he needs a photographer and he says yes, then you'll accept. If he doesn't, I will do your chores around the house for a week and watch Michaela whenever you want. Deal?"

She thought it over before smiling gently and saying, "Deal!" I gave her a hug and whispered, "You won't be sorry. Trust me."

About an hour after chatting we went to our rooms and got a goodnight's sleep in.

I woke up the next morning to the sound of Michaela yelling because she wanted pancakes instead of cereal for breakfast. I reminisced back to when she was a little baby, barely a month old.

_I walked up to the Capucco's door. Kim answered, holding a tiny, screaming Michaela in her arms, and looking like death itself. She had barely gotten any sleep in the past few weeks, because of the baby's irregular sleep pattern. She ushered me in, trying to console the screeching newborn all the while. Kim's mom, Janine Capucco, came into the living room, putting on big pearl earrings._

_"Kitty Micheline, would you **please** make that thing SHUT UP! I mean, really, I can't even hear myself think." I winced at her tone. Kim looked at her mother and said dryly, "If I knew how to calm her down, I probably would have already." Normally, Kim would yell at her mother for calling her 'Kitty Micheline' and then make more of an argument about Michaela's screaming, but she was just too exhausted. She was only seventeen, just out of high-school, and she had to deal with a difficult baby and uncaring parents. Both Mr. and Mrs. Capucco were country-clubbers, too pre-occupied with themselves. When they found out Kim was pregnant, all they could think about was what their friends would say. _

_All her life, Kim resented her parents and was independent from them. But when Michaela's father, Lucas Kingston, refused to help Kim with the baby, Kim had no where to go but her parents. _

_By the time Michaela was five months old, Kim had had enough and just left. She showed up at my door with Michaela in her carrier and a diaper bag slung across her shoulder. _

_"I'm sick of it. I just had to leave," was all she said. She, Gabi and I had all talked about getting an apartment and living as roommates long before graduation. It was Gabi who found our three bedroom, one-and-a-half bath house in St. Paul. We moved in a month later and we'd been there ever since. _

Michaela had quieted down and actually slept through the night after she moved in here. Kim says it's because her mother and father scared the poor thing to death, but personally, I think it was because she could sense that her mother was more relaxed. I can remember all the cute things she did growing up, or the horrible temper tantrums she could throw. Just like the one she was throwing as a wake-up call for me. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand. It read 7:30 AM. I had plenty of time to get dressed and eat before we had to head down to the rink.

As I hopped in the shower, I heard a loud clatter come from the kitchen. _How Kim deals with these things I may never know, but she better write a book about it._ Five minutes later I was out of the warm moisture and into the frigid, tiled room known as our bathroom. Another five minutes passed and I was dressed in my warm up suit and carefully clasping the chain that held my mother's wedding rings. I brushed my hair back into a neat bun and headed to the kitchen.

I stopped dead in my tracks. There, in front of me, was Kim covered in oatmeal. My eyes widened, half in humor, half in sympathy. _Guess this is a bad day for Michaela… _I slowly walked up to where the little devil was sitting and pouting. I saw Kim walk to her room to change out of the corner of my eye.

"Mischa, what did you do to Mommy?" I asked in my authoritative voice. She looked up at me and stated quite frankly, "She gave me oatmeal. I don't wike oatmeal, so I threw it to her. I want pantakes for bweakfast." I sighed and looked down at the little blonde.

"Mischa, you know better than to throw food, especially at Mommy, after she made it especially for you. That's not very nice. You need to apologize." She looked down, still scowling, and mumbled, "Fine." She got off her stool and made her way to the bedroom she and her mother shared.

Both Capucco girls came back looking in cheerier moods than when the left. Kim grabbed her purse and opened the door, "Shall we go to the ice rink?" We all walked outside and piled into my car and headed off to the rink.

Our old station wagon pulled into the arena's parking lot. I looked up and there in big bold letters were "CLOSED FOR OLYMPIC HOCKEY TEAM". I smiled and shook my head slightly. _This guy's gonna be **so** much fun to work for._ I put the parking brake on and turned off the ignition. Kim got out and helped Michaela out of the backseat.

"I'm going to go see if I can find Mr. Brooks, I'll be back in a minute or two," I walked into the arena and straight to the rink. As I drew closer, I could hear the shouts and sounds of the puck bouncing off the boards that were normally associated with the primitive sport of hockey. I rolled my eyes at the very thought of actually working for a hockey team and almost turned around right there. _Keep your mind on the prize; this is your only chance at being on the team again. _

I finally got in the rink area and found Coach Brooks. He was yelling at some player who wasn't passing the puck. I stood in the bleachers, watching the team start up a play. Uninterested, I continued down the rows of chairs towards the boards when a loud "thwack" was heard. I looked up immediately to see a player in gray standing over a member of the opposing team. A chorus of different calls, many discouraging the hit, was thrown at the attacker. I rolled my eyes and continued down to the boards as the coach began a monologue about what the team was for.

He asked three of the players to tell him about themselves. _Figures, the guy doesn't even know anything about his team. Yet, here I am, going to work for the great hockey buffoons. _The practice continued on, until the assistant coach noticed me pacing around the rink. He called me over.

"Are you the figure skater from yesterday?" he asked me. I stuck my hand out and introduced myself, "I'm Emma Lynne Calhoun. I'm here to see Mr. Brooks about the job he offered me yesterday." The coach nodded his head in acknowledgement, "Yeah, he told me about that. By the way, I'm Craig Patrick, assistant coach. Here, follow me." He opened the gate and let me onto the ice. Mr. Brooks saw us and blew a whistle to stop the practice. As we walked towards the head coach, I could feel the curious eyes of the team follow my path.

I walked directly, yet carefully, up to Mr. Brooks and began my offer. "Hello again Mr. Brooks," he murmured back, "Ms. Calhoun" but I continued on. "I've thought about your proposition and I've decided to take you up on the job. However…" I paused to gauge his reaction. He seemed unfazed that I had my own conditions, so continued on, "I was wondering if your team needed a photographer. My friend, Kim Capucco, is highly qualified and is looking for a job. But, if you don't want her on your staff, I'm afraid I'll have to turn down your offer."

"How much does your friend want as salary?" his tone was firm yet not completely defiant. There was still a glimmer of hope for Kim's new job! I decided to answer him vaguely, _let's see this guy squirm,_ "Oh, I don't know, maybe $10 for every film reel she shoots. Does that sound okay?" He thought about it before replying, "Meet me in my office with your friend in five minutes. We'll discuss this there. Craig?" Mr. Brooks turned to Coach Patrick, "Can you show Ms. Calhoun and her friend to my office please? Thanks. Now, back to practice; let's go gentlemen!"

Five minutes later, I found myself, along with Kim and Michaela, inside Herb Brooks's office. Kim was biting her lip in nervousness and Michaela was playing with her imaginary puppy named Jerry. I smiled at my goddaughter and patted Kim's back, trying to calm her nerves. She was always so tense when meeting new people because they judged her for being a single young mother. I started up a conversation with her about how late Gabi was working, when the door flew open.

In came Mr. Brooks looking as stony and cold as ever. He sat down in his desk chair as Coach Patrick walked in and sat in a nearby chair. The four of us looked at each other until the head coach broke the silence, "So, Ms. Calhoun, is this your friend?" He motioned to Kim. She stood up and went to the desk to shake hands. "Yes, sir, my name's Kim Capucco, I'm a photography major and I'm looking for a job." Brooks looked at her and began practically interviewing her. Kim answered all his questions tensely yet perfectly. He seemed impressed by the time the interrogation was done. He looked the Craig and nodded his head.

"Well, it looks like you two have jobs if you choose to accept, same salary as I said before. I'll have Walter Bush make up some papers for you and…" he was cut off by a loud bark. He stood up, confused, and looked over the desk where he found little Mischa grinning madly. Kim looked embarrassed and gathered Michaela in her lap. He looked at Kim for and explanation when I butt in, "Mr. Brooks, this is Kim's daughter Michaela, she might have to tag along to practice a few days a week, but she'll be no trouble. Right, Mischa?" The little girl looked at me and nodded. I turned back to Mr. Brooks and hoped he would let Michaela come to practices with Kim. He nodded and resumed informing us about our new jobs. We discussed the finer points until, at last, we were done.

"Okay, why don't we go meet the team then?" he asked. He got up and opened the door; Coach Patrick followed, holding the door open for Kim, Michaela, and I. "Thanks, Coach Patrick." Kim said. "No, no. Call me Craig. We're all on the same team now." Kim smiled and picked up Michaela. We walked down a few hallways and came back to the bleachers were about twenty freshly showered hockey players were sitting.

"Gentlemen, you're attention please," the team quickly shut up. "I'd like to introduce you to two of our new staff members. This is Emma Lynne Calhoun and Kim Capucco. Ms. Calhoun will be you're new warm up trainer and Ms. Capucco will be taking pictures and film of practices. That's all boys." Mr. Brooks just turned and headed back to his office, leaving us with a team of barbaric hockey players. They all came up to meet us and introduce themselves. Michaela, who was hiding behind Kim, popped out in front of us, surprising them all.

"And who might this be?" one asked. He bent down and offered his hand to Mischa, "I'm Buzz Schneider. What's your name?" The hardly shy Mischa looked at him and said, "I'm Michaela Christine Capucco. I'm five years old." Buzz looked up at Kim and said, "She's cute. This your little sister?"

The second the words flew out of his mouth, the look on Kim's face was enough to make him want to take them back. He looked confused until she answered, "Actually, she's my daughter." The room went dead silent. Buzz fumbled with an apology but, Kim just waved it off. We all stood in awkward silence for a minute or two before a group of the players left to go home. Michaela was getting tired and Kim wanted to head home also. We had pretty much been at the rink all day and it was starting to get late.

"Well, we better be heading home. We'll see you all tomorrow. Be afraid, be very afraid," I attempted a joke. Some of the guys laughed and we continued out to the front lobby. Michaela fell asleep on the ride home and Kim had to carry her into the house. I opened the door to find Gabi standing in the kitchen cooking a pot of spaghetti. She was still dressed in her office clothes with her hair in a messy bun. She heard the door close and jumped. She seemed spooked until she saw it was just us, "Hey, how did it go?"

"Oh, fine. We got the jobs, the hard part now is figuring out how I'll deal with twenty-something hockey players for eight months," she laughed aloud as I trailed of, shaking my head. Mentally, I was questioning myself what the hell I did, but Gabi was there to reassure me.

"Don't worry about it, Em. They can't be that bad; so you teach a bunch of guys the finer points of skating, worse case scenario, you deck a few." She said it as nonchalantly as possible, but soon she began laughing along with me. She was referencing when some hockey player came onto me way too strong and I whacked him across the face. I laughed at the memory as Kim came in. She looked at us in question before we filled her in. She started laughing too before running over to the spaghetti pot and turning off the heat. Gabi and I looked at each other, then to Kim as if to say sorry.

Twenty minutes later, we were sitting at our kitchen table, laughing and eating, and laughing again. Gabi had told us that her co-worker Luanne had spent the day running back and forth between the two office buildings that her company owned. It probably wasn't that funny, but we had decided to celebrate a little with some rum and coke. Unfortunately for us, not drinking in quite a long time (due to living with a five year old) caused us to loose our ability to hold liquor well. Let's just say my first day of work was _very_ interesting…

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**Thanks for reading, please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Sorry about the delay. I've been kinda busy with school and stupid state standardized testing (MCASEVIL). If Emma seems kinda OOC, I apologize. I've just been trying to get this out for y'all. Well, bon a petit...**

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Chapter 3: This is SOOO much fun... 

I woke up the next morning to a painful headache in my temple and a blurry room. I sat in bed until I could see my reflection in the mirror across my room. I looked like I had been run over by a truck. My hair was sticking up in about fifty different directions and my face was pale and sickly looking. I went to get out of bed when Gabi came into my room carrying a tray of something. She plopped down on my bed and handed me the tray.

"This will make you feel better. It's my cousin's hangover cure. She should market it; that's how good it works!" She urged for me to take a sip of the pink concoction in front of me. I hesitated and tried to push it away, but Gabi's, _ahem, _**motherly **force kicked in. She took the straw and shoved it in my mouth and said to drink it all. Which I did. Surprisingly, the "cure" worked pretty damn well, 'cause I was up and making my way to the bathroom not five minutes later. _Note to self: Get Gabi's cousin's recipe for future hangovers._ On my way to the bathroom, I nearly ran into Kim…well, what looked like Kim. She was worse off than I had been. I gave her a sympathetic look and said, "Go see Gabs; she'll take care of you." She groaned and headed towards the kitchen where Gabi's apothecary was.

I came out of the shower and went to get dressed. _Now what to wear? Shall I really scare them all and wear my figure-skating outfit or should I just wear my sweats...Sweats, comfier._ When I had finished dressing I made sure that my necklace was securely on, if I ever lost those rings I would have cried. They were my mother's. All I had left of her. I stared at my reflection until Mischa's voice woke me from my trance.

"Come on. Emmy! We're gonna be late fowr pwactice!" I grabbed my duffle bag and ran to the kitchen. Gabi was standing at the door handing of breakfast on-the-go for all of us. I laughed at her before taking a yogurt cup. She really was like our mother. And it was sometimes _really_ scary. She grew up in a large family, an older sister, four boys, and her. Her mom was a homemaker and her dad owned Cruz's Car Repair. It sometimes baffled me how much we each brought from our backgrounds. Kim would deny having anything to do with her parents, but she always made sure we were locked every entrance or exit in the house before turning in (like her mother did), and Gabi made sure she helped everyone with their problems and of course the whole mechanical repairing of household appliances helped a lot. I wasn't the biggest help around the house, but I was extremely over-protective of my adoptive family (my roomies) because of my dad. He always made sure I was safe and I could defend myself if he wasn't there to protect me. As we drove to the arena, I chewed on this thought (and my yummy yogurt) while Kim and Michaela sang along with the radio. We pulled into the arena parking lot and got out. Kim had about three bags filled with heavy equipment and I offered to help her carry them in. We turned to the door expecting Michaela to be waiting for us. But she wasn't there. Kim was going into panic mode as we were searching frantically for her daughter.

We went into the arena after searching the parking lot thoroughly. She wasn't in the lobby, nor in the bathrooms. We ran into the rink area; no sign of her. Kim was really losing it now. She was running her hands through her hair, normally a sign of frustration or that she was hiding her fear. I was about to comfort her when we saw one of the hockey players walking towards the rink. I opened my mouth to speak, but Kim beat me to it.

"Have you seen my daughter?" she asked in a deadly tone as if to say 'If you don't tell me where my baby is I'll rip your vocal chords out and use them as dental floss.' The guy looked a bit worried; _He has a right to be…_, but motioned to the locker room. Kim ran to the door separating her from the uncharted territory of the locker room. She knocked on the door, but grew impatient and charged in. Trailing behind her at a distance, I heard complete chaos erupt from the room as Kim entered. I laughed to myself and joined Kim. She looked unfazed by the group of men all rushing to cover anything _inappropriate _for her to see. She just marched in and asked threateningly, "Have any of you seen Michaela? 'Cause if you haven't you're all going to help me find her." They all looked petrified of Kim, but her menacing glares ended when a heap of clothes spoke.

"I'm wight here, Mommy." Michaela's head poked out of a practice jersey, smiling and laughing. Kim scooped her up and gave her a big hug. "Don't you _ever_ do that to me again! Kay-Kay, I was so afraid I lost you. You can't do that to Mommy. Okay?" Mischa nodded and hugged her mom again. When the little love fest had settled down, Kim became very aware that she was in a room full of half dressed men. She blushed and mumbled a "Sorry," before flying out of there at top speed. I laughed and ruffled Mischa's hair as we headed to Coach Brooks's office.

After getting lost (just for a second) we found Coach's office and him in it. Standing next to him was a white-haired man approaching his late sixties. Herb looked up to acknowledge us before returning to his paperwork. I stood there, expecting him to give some direction. All he did was talk to Craig about the players. Kim and I just looked at each other, communicating with our eyes that our new boss was a mental case. Five minutes had passed when he finally looked up and had the nerve to ask us, "What are you still doing here? Ms. Calhoun, I'm paying you to warm up my team, not stand around dawdling. And Ms. Capucco, you should go set up; we'll need those films of yours to help whip the team into shape."

I looked at him, ready to defend myself and set him straight, but Kim just nodded and dragged me out of the office. I was livid that he thought I was slacking off when it was his fault I didn't know what to do, but Kim calmed me down. She and I went our separate ways when we got to the rink. She and Michaela went to set up in the bleachers while I went down to the ice. I dropped my bag on one of the benches and walked onto the ice. It was crisp and clean from the night before, just waiting for someone to dance on it. This was my domain, I belonged there. Inhaling deeply, I waved up at Michaela who, of course, was playing around with "Jerry" again in her own world.

"…Well I wasn't my fault; I was skating and Collins just happened to get in my way," a solitary voice caught my attention, along with its comrades' voices. One by one, like brown, gray, and maroon ants, they hockey team piled out onto my territory. They kept chatting amongst themselves, even after I had cleared my throat multiple times. After a while, I got fed up with the talking and a yelled out, "ALL RIGHT, BOYS, TEA TIME IS OVER. GET YOUR SORRY ASSES ON THE ICE AND START STRETCHING!" From the looks I got, it seemed that I scared them all out of their freakin' minds. They immediately sat down and assumed their stretching. I relished in the fact that I was actually taller than them all and had complete control over them. That didn't last very long. The second they stood up, the comments started flowing.

"So, looks like we have a Mini Herb on our hands, don't it boys?" one overly cocky voice sounded. A couple of the guys laughed. Big mistake. I went right up to oh-cocky-one and looked him square in the eye.

"Laugh now, cry later," I said in my 'your so gonna pay for that' tone. I walked around them, trying to psych them out. It seemed to work. Almost. "So, Mini, what are we doing today?" Of course, it was Mr. Cocky again. I rolled my eyes and asked, "What's your name?"

"O'Callahan, or OC, either's fine with me babycakes." What an idiot. Even the guys who laughed earlier were rethinking it. "Well, OC, you'll be skating suicides while the rest of the team watches. How's that sound babycakes?" He smirked at me and skated towards me. "No problem, hon, as long as I get a massage when I'm done." _Oh my God, did that son-of-a-bitch just **wink** at me?_ I made a disgusted face and walked to the side of the rink. Once there, I began my deep breathing Gabi taught me to control my anger. Behind me, OC kept make rude and crude comments, only furthering my annoyance. By three I gave up and walked towards OC, slamming my right-hook into his stomach. He hunched over in pain as I flexed my hand. Some of the guys went to support him, the others just stared half-stunned that I hit him and half-scared that I did. I smiled gently at them and told them all to skate ten laps.

OC regained composure quickly and caught up to his teammates while I watched them all. I recognized some of the guys from yesterday. _Okay, that's Rizzo, #21. Buzzy, #25. He was sweet, made a complete idiot of himself with Michaela, but sweet nonetheless. Wonder how Kim's doing. _I looked up into the stands to see Kim looking around and under the seats. _Oh great, we lost her again._ I skimmed the stands with my eyes while the guys finished their laps. None of them or me were paying attention to the little baseball cap that was bobbing around in the benches until it was too late.

"Emmy! Look at me!" I looked down in time to see Mischa standing on the edge of the ice, right in the path of ten sprinting hockey players. I ran towards her as fast a possible but I slipped before I could grab her hand. There was a high pitched scream and Kim's worried yelling. I closed my eyes, expecting something horrible to happen. The slush from skates stopping was heard, but nothing that led to a trip to the hospital. I looked up confused, and let out the breath I'd been holding.

There was Michaela, safe and healthy, in the arms of one of the players. I scrambled up to them as did Kim. I grabbed Mischa out of his arms and hugged her tightly. She buried her face in my neck and cried quietly, more out of shock than pain. I rocked her back and forth until Kim came to get her, jumping the boards and flinging herself at her daughter. She checked to make sure Michaela was fine before launching at her daughter's savior. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. God I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't gotten to her. Thank you!" Kim stood with Mischa on her hip while the drama on the ice died down.

It was 'Bah' Harrington who saved her. And little did I know then, that he would save me too…later on. I smiled graciously at him and realized he was the one who stood up for me against what Kim and I called "The Herb Factor". He smiled at us and ruffled Mischa's hair a little. "Well I couldn't let this cutie be turned into minced meat. Rizzo would've turned her into a meatball." Kim and I stood there, utterly confused to why the team found this so funny. Bah noticed our questioning faces and shook his head, "You don't want to know…"

Once everyone had settled down, I started the boys on some more drills. Kim and Michaela headed back to where the filming equipment was set up as I gave directions to the team. In no time, Herb was standing next to me and taking over the practice. He motioned for me to stand next to Craig without even a thank you. _Well really, what did you expect? He's a **hockey** player after all._ I threw my skates on while Herb was showing a new play. The boys seemed to execute the play pretty well until the forward went to shoot. He lost his balance and completely messed up the shot. Herb must have seen my scrutinizing gaze and told me to show Baker what was wrong.

Slowly, I glided over to Billy, examining his posture._ If Madame Natasha saw this she would cry. And she thought my posture was bad._ Finally, I pinpointed the problem, "You need to get more push off your edge. That way, you'll have more force and balance on your other foot, so you won't depend on the stick as much. You'll get a clearer shot." The whole team, minus Herb, looked at me in shock. "What? I've been skating since I was five. I know the basic properties." Herb smirked and continued practice. "Okay gentlemen, let's run it again." The play took of once again; Morrow passed it up to Silk, who passed to Verchota, who passed to Baker. Billy (Baker) pushed off perfectly and sunk the puck right in the corner of the net. _That'll show them to ever doubt me again…_

After practice, I met up with Kim and Michaela in the lobby. We were about to head home when one of the players caught up with us.

"Hey, Emma, Kim," Mac called out, "You two wanna hang out at the dorms with us later on?" Kim and I just looked at each other. I knew Kim needed time to just let loose, though she wouldn't admit it. Before Kim could reject the offer, I told him we'd be there if he'd give us the directions. Kim looked at me as if I had three heads. She dragged me aside after Mac gave me the directions.

"What the hell are you thinking? No normally I would encourage you to be spontaneous, but this is way to fast. Em, you've gotta change in moderations. Besides, what are we gonna do with Michaela? Just dumping her on Gabi would be mean, and I can't just hire a babysitter. Mrs. Lowell is out of town this week-" I cut her off. "We'll just bring Michaela, and Gabs, if she wants. It'll be fun. You need it. And don't even _think _of denying it." She was silent. "Good, that's settled. Now, let's go home and talk to Gabi!"

"Hey Gabi we're home!" I opened the door, expecting to see Gabi in the kitchen baking something (she was a bit obsessive about baking), only to see our barren blue kitchen. I wondered around the house, calling her name as Kim fed Michaela. Finally, I found her looking through some old pictures in the attic. Her face was tear-stained from crying and her hair was in knots. I rushed over to her and pulled her into a hug. She started crying again as I rocked her back and forth. Finally, her sobs subsided and she smiled meekly at me.

"Pete broke up with me. I thought he was gonna propose if anything. But he wasn't even nice about it! He practically told me to get lost. I just feel so stupid for not noticing anything." I shushed her and stroked her hair away from her face. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, he doesn't deserve you. I always thought he was rude to you, and you shouldn't have had to put up with that arrogant asshole." She chuckled slightly before becoming serious again.

"I thought he was the one. I mean, I thought everything was perfect between us, and I could picture us together in the future. I mean, I'm the only one in my family with relationship issues. Alejandro's married with three kids, Tony is engaged to his high school sweetheart, Tad has Lucy, Julio and Marley's baby is due in October, and Mercedes and Greg are adopting a little girl next year. Where does that put me? I'm gonna be the Old Maid Aunt for all of my life. I'll live in some old apartment with El Greco and his kitty friends!" Before she could rant on, I covered her mouth with my hand. "Gabs, as nice as it is to hear about your brothers and sister, I heavily doubt that they have perfect relationships. I mean, what about when Julio hid here last month because Marley was going on a hormonal tirade? And no offence to Alejandro, but he isn't the most responsible person and poor Grace probably shuffles Nicky, Lenora, and Gigi around all the time. See, no one has a perfect relationship. You'll find the right guy someday Gabs. Who knows, maybe even tonight when we go to the teams' place to hang out!" Gabs put up a fight but I convinced her with the classic "There's gonna be about 20 hot, college guys between the ages of 19 and 23" and she ambled downstairs to get all dolled up.

After Kim had fed Michaela and we all changed, we piled into the station wagon and drove to the address of the dorms. Some of the players were staying at the U's dorms while some of the others stayed at local apartments. We pulled into their building's parking lot. Michaela was excited that she was going to an adult party and that she would get to play with the guys. The four of us walked up the stairs to where we assumed everyone would be. Almost all of the players were out in the hallway talking and laughing at one another's jokes. Some had beer cans in hand while others were drinking out of party cups. Gabi seemed a bit wary as we made our way through the throng of people. Peeking into one of the rooms, I saw three poker games in play and a baseball game on. Kim looked horrified at everyone's behavior and held Michaela closer. _Well this is gonna be…eww, please don't tell me that's actually food. Oh that's gross. Oh God…

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**Please review... wave-rider (I need a new username...)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it's taking me so long to update...lots of end of the year projects, but I should be update sooner now that summer's here.**

**This chapter really suck-y,please don't hate me.**

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Chapter 4:

"HEEEEEYYYYYYY EMMA! WHOOOSE YO' FWEEEENNNNDD?" My eyes widened to full capacity as a wobbling Silky came towards us, giant party cup in hand. Kim tried to shelter Mischa as best she could as he slung his arms around Gabi's and my necks.

"And who might this beauuuutifulll gurl beeeeee?" I nearly gagged at the nasty smell coming from his mouth. The similar expression on Gabi's face told me she was regretting she actually came. Ducking out from Silky's reach, I grabbed Gabi's arm and pulled her to me.

"Dave, this is my roommate, Gabi Cruz. Gabs," I motioned to the plastered guy in front of us, "this is Dave Silk, also known as Silky."

"The ladieeeesss callllll me dat 'cuz I'm smooooth as…as…um," Dave looked deep in thought at the ceiling until someone called out, "SILK!"

"Right, silk!" Dave filled in the blank, winking at Gabi and wagging his eyebrows up and down. Gabi inched behind me, peering over my shoulder as Rizzo walked up to us.

"Hey guys! Glad you could make it," he noticed Gabi's hiding spot and turned to Silky, "Dave, man, why don't you go over and get Ramsey to give you some more beer," Dave perked up and stumbled his way into a dorm. I gaped at Rizzo, "You're gonna give him _more _alcohol? What are you, insane? The guy couldn't even remember his own last name!" I was prepared to launch into complete lecture mode, but Rizzo put up his hands in defense, "Emma, relax, Ramsey won't give him anything, he's nineteen. By law, Rammer's not allowed to touch that stuff." I relaxed and turned the attention to Gabi, "Rizzo, this is Kim and my roommate, Gabi."

"It's nice to meet you," Rizzo stuck out his hand, "I'm Mike Eruzione, but everyone just calls me Rizzo," Gabs smiled and offered up, "Gabi Cruz." Rizzo took it upon himself to be our bodyguard until we found a safe place to sit. Kim had disappeared with Michaela early on in the party and we hadn't seen her since. After getting the full tour, which wasn't very much of one anyway, we took a seat on the couch in Billy Baker and Pav's room.

Gabi had opened up after the Silky incident and was sitting with Buzzy, talking his ear of and motioning dramatically with her hands, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I whirled around and came face-to-chest with Bah.

"Enjoying the party? It's a little crazy, but we'll run damage control in the morning." A small smile formed on my face as he commented on the various activities of his teammates. "Yeah, Verchota started a game of 'I Never' in Kenny and Well's room; huge following too. And Mark Johnson's over there having a nervous breakdown 'cause Silky keeps trying to juggle some of the beer cans. I think the last one hit Christian in the head, doubt it hurt much; he's got a built in safety bumper on there…" _He's cute when he rambles…wait a minute, where the hell did which come from? Emily Lynne Calhoun you did not just think that; snap out of it._ "…So, where's Kim and Michaela?" His voice broke up the conversation in my head. I looked around the room, trying to find a little blonde haired girl or Kim's bright golden eyes. No where to be found. I spun around in a circle, trying to track where they had gone. Bah noticed my confusion and began looking too. I walked up to Gabi, thinking she'd know where they were.

"Hey Gabs, have you seen Kim or Michaela? I can't find them anywhere!" Gabi furrowed her eyebrows, "I've got no clue. Haven't seen them since we got here." She turned back to the conversation; once Gabi starts talking, there's no stopping her until she passes out or the other end of the conversation runs away. I blew a piece of hair out of my face and headed for the door. Not much later, I heard someone running up behind me.

"Emma, wait!" I whipped around to see Bah jogging up to me, "Jeez, you can sure walk fast. You weren't a speed skater in a past life, were you?"

"No, but being a short person, I find it necessary to walk fast to keep up with everyone. Sometimes my feet just kick it into overdrive." He laughed at my explanation as we peered into a room a few doors down. We continued through the floor (which had been designated for the team only) asking anyone we saw if they new where my roomies were. Constant 'no's got annoying after a while and my impatience was growing. After searching the whole floor, I gave up and went back to find Gabi. Just as I stepped in the door, the amazing drunken Silky materialized in my face singing 'I Will Survive'. Holding my breath, I tried to push past him, but a sweaty arm wrapped around my waist and swung me back to him.

"Come on, Emmmmmmmmaaaaaa! Sing wit me! I will suvive. Ohhhhh as long as I know how to love I know I'll be a wife, I've got all my life to give. I've got all my love to live, and I'll suvive. I WILL SUVIVE!" I ducked away as much as possible as Silky fell towards me. I waited for the impact for the second time today, but again, it never came. Bah had Silky pinned up against the wall and was dragging him to the nearest couch to crash. I slipped away to Gabs and dragged her into the bathroom.

"Gabi, I can't find Kim of Michaela anywhere. Bah and I searched the whole floor. They are nowhere and it's starting to freak me out. I was almost squished by Silky a minute ago and…"

"Wait, who the hell's Bah? And how did you get squished by Silky? I'm so confused." I went to explain but was interrupted by a loud knocking on the door.

"Emma, are you okay? I'm sorry about Silky, but he can't hurt anyone else; he's passed out on the couch. So you can come out now, if you want." I opened the door, about to walk back out when I saw a massive group of hockey players chasing Phil Verchota around the room. Grabbing Bah's shirt, I pulled him in and shut the door.

"Okay," I started, formulating a plan in my head, "Kim and Michaela have completely disappeared and we have absolutely no idea where they could be. Bah," he looked up, "I need you to ask _everyone_ if they have seen them. And get Rizzo on the trail too, he could be of use. Gabs, you go down to the parking lot and see if they're anywhere down there. I'll keep walking through the halls and stuff to see if they're there. If we find them we find each other and tell them where they are. All set," Bah nodded and Gabi shrugged, "than let's go."

We split up, each of us heading towards our "mission". I ran along each hallway, dodging people and keeping my eyes open for my midget goddaughter and her mother. Five minutes passed and I still hadn't found them. As I turned down another hallway, I heard Gabi's voice calling out my name.

"Emma! I found them!" I spun on my heel and jogged to where she was standing. "Their in the car; Kim said Michaela was feeling sick and so she brought her back to the car." I sighed and followed her out to the parking lot. There, in the car, was Kim cradling a sleep Michaela, just like Gabs had said. Seeing that Kim wanted to go home, I hightailed it back up to the party to tell Bah we were heading home.

"So you found her? That's good." He looked genuinely relieved.

"I have to get going; everyone's waiting in the car. I'll see you tomorrow at practice." I waved and headed out to the car to get home.

At home, Kim carried Mischa to her room and tucked her in. Gabi and I put on a pot of coffee while she was in there.

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"Did you have fun?" I asked, "You seemed to hit it off with Mike." Gabi smiled into her mug. _Oh boy, here we go._ "He's super sweet, but he's really young. But he's mature too, ya know?" I laughed.

"Gabi, you have time to think about it. You've only seen the guy once. Nothing to get worked up about."

"What's she up to now?" Kim came in the room with her pajamas on. Shaking my head, I told her, "You don't want to know."

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